The Naked Truth
by E037407
Summary: Just what is Harry up to? Hermione is determined to find out. Post book 7.


_**Revelations**_

"I just don't know what I'm doing wrong Hermione. I've done _everything _short of rubbing the sisters in his face and he doesn't seem to notice my attentions." Ginny was wearing a groove in the carpet of her dorm room as she spoke.

"Well Ginny… you have to give him some time. The war was traumatizing to everyone, and it affected Harry more than most." Hermione wasn't too sure of her answer; ever since Voldemort's death he had taken up permanent residence on cloud nine.

"I just care for him so much. I could make him so happy if he gave me the chance." She sighed and stopped pacing. "I said before I would never use love potions to date a boy, but I'm running out of options 'Mione."

"Things like love potions don't work on him, Ginny." Hermione informed her.

"What? Why not?"

"His mind works differently to everyone else. He was hit with a killing curse… twice. His mind had to adapt to survive. It's why the imperious doesn't work on him. He also can't be affected by Memory Charms and other types of compulsions."

"Oh…" Ginny's hands flew to her mouth as she realized something horrible.

"What is it?"

"He caught me trying on his underwear!" Hermione's mouth opened wordlessly. "I used _Obliviate_ on him and ran out. I still have them. And he KNOWS! Both girls turned bright red. "Oh, Merlin."

"Well," started Hermione, "I suppose that's why he hasn't been responding to you. Boys are such sensitive things. So easy to scare off."

"Oh no, no, no! He probably thinks I'm a crazy stalker!"

Hermione winced. "It does seem bad. But Harry is tougher than most boys his age. It would take more than an embarrassing situation to put him off permanently. He might just feel awkward about seeing you half naked since you're his best friend's little sister."

"You think so?"

"Yes."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Neville." Hermione said under her breath; although she was debating with herself the wisdom of distracting him during potions.

"Yeah?" he responded with his tongue stuck out in concentration.

"Does Harry look… flushed to you?"

He took his attention away from his simmering cauldron and looked over at the Chosen One in concern. "A bit." Neville bit his lip. "Is he okay?"

"What? Oh, yes I'm sure he's fine."

"Really?"

"Yes." She confirmed. "Wait. Do you think something's wrong? Has he said something?"

Neville look uncomfortable. "Well… he's been coming back to the dorm way after curfew." He leaned in closed to Hermione. "He told Ron he was working on a Herbology project. But I'm at the greenhouses almost every night and I haven't seen him."

That put Hermione into deep thought. Neville was looking at her and waiting patiently for her to say something. Neither noticed his cauldron bubbling over.

"I wonder… is he seeing someone? Or is he working on something he doesn't want anyone to know about?" Hermione mused out loud.

Neville replied. "I don't know. Luna might though."

Hermione blinked. "Why would she know?"

"He's been helping her learn Legimency. She told me it's about reading minds or something."

"Yes, if she has been using legimency on him then she should know what he's been doing." A loud pop came from Neville's potion. "Neville! Add the pus! ADD THE PUS!" But it was too late. His incomplete slumber potion exploded and drenched her.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Ginny Weasley was feeling hurt. After the Ravenclaw/Gryffindor Quidditch game she had caught a glimpse of a hickey on Harry's neck when he was changing out of his uniform, she was sure this meant her Chosen One was seeing someone.

_But who was it? _Ginny couldn't beat a rival if she didn't know who the girl was. _Or girls_. She thought sadly. Harry could have pretty much anyone he wanted.

Damn him for being a hero. And rich. And famous. And nice. And incredibly attractive.

Her eyes flashed red. No one was going to have him without a fight. But first, she needed to know who she was fighting. Then she would pull the bitches' hair out.

Ginny walked into the dorm room after making sure it was empty. She didn't want the boys to catch her, and while she could memory charm her brother, Dean or Seamus, it apparently didn't work on Harry and she doubted she could best Neville in a duel even if he was caught by surprise.

So stealth it was.

Quickly and quietly she made her way over to Harry's bedside table. On top was a muggle alarm clock that had been charmed to work around magic by Hermione.

The red-head discovered the top draw was full of junk. There was a broken snitch, and an old pair of glasses she knew he last wore years ago. There was a gum wrapper he received from Mrs. Alice Longbottom; Neville's mother. Ginny knew since she received one as well and kept it in her small jewelry box.

Ginny closed the draw and opened the second one down. Inside was his photo album on its own. Something she knew should be left alone.

In the third and final draw she found something that deeply disturbed her; an almost empty box of condoms. She didn't dare to touch them. Dragging her eyes away from the offending box she scanned the rest of the items, and wished she hadn't.

Ginny found Voldemort's wand, a wand that had used to belong to Tom Riddle. She gently picked it up. But something seemed wrong. _What is that smell_? She took a tentative sniff and threw the wand back into the draw. "EW!" As she stood up and kicked the draw closed, her own wand was in her other hand a moment later.

"_Scourgify_!" Ginny cried in disgust while aiming the wand at her fingers.

She took a few steps back, away from the bedside table. There were things about Harry that really needed to stay secret.

Although Ginny had found many things, the identity of the girl(s) Harry was seeing were not among them. Ginny eyed Harry's simple looking trunk at the end of his bed.

Slightly surprising was the fact that there were no locks, just a single, although powerful, anti-theft ward. But Ginny didn't intend to steal anything. Inside was a pile of muggle clothing and robes that looked far too big for him. She remembered Hermione mention that a lot of his clothes were hand-me-downs from his gigantic cousin.

_Hmm… a heavily muscled version of Harry?_ Ginny decided to investigate this muggle cousin.

Another pile contained Harry's schoolbooks on top of a spare school uniform. Ginny was beginning to despair that there would be no clue to this mystery girl's identity. Then a flash of green poking out from underneath a book caught her eye.

It was a Slytherin uniform tie.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

The very first thing Hermione did when she woke from her week long potion induced sleep was to take a shower and sort her hygiene out.

The second thing was to find Luna. Hermione had questions, and Luna could provide the answers.

As it turned out, Luna Lovegood was an easy girl to find. She sat cross-legged on the grass, looking out over Hogsmeade, making daisy chains.

"Hi Luna." greeted Hermione.

"Hello."

"What are you up to today?"

"I'm making a necklace for Neville. He feels really bad about the accident." replied Luna.

"That's nice."

"I thought so."

"So… I heard you've been taking legimency lessons from Harry." stated Hermione.

"Neville told you. He's sorry about that too."

Hermione's curiosity spiked. "It's strange. When I asked him if he could teach _me, _he said he didn't want anyone else messing around in his head."

"That is because he has something to hide." Luna said bluntly.

Hermione swallowed the pang of hurt. "But why wouldn't he trust me with this… _secret_?"

Luna finished the daisy chain and looked at Hermione for the first time since the conversation started. "Because you're too close to him. He doesn't think you would approve. And he couldn't bare it if you didn't."

Luna started the alchemic ritual for turning the daisy chain necklace into silver because she saw Hermione had sunk into deep thought.

From experience Luna knew that when Hermione retreated into her mind to think things over, it could take seconds, or she could be staring into space for minutes.

The flash and pinging sound of a successful transmutation snapped her from reaching a fully conclusive revelation. But she now had a new question.

"Who is he?"

Luna immediately knew Hermione had mostly solved the puzzle. "I won't say. I had to promise multiple times that I would keep it to myself."

"Who else knows?"

"Neville. He caught them kissing behind the mandrakes yesterday."

"Yesterday? So he's in Harry's Herbology class?"

Luna actually looked troubled and Hermione knew she had made her guesses right.

"Don't worry, Luna. I have no intention of trying to guess at this boy's name. I'm going to ask Harry directly. I need to let him know he's still my best friend and I don't care if he's gay. Thanks Luna!"

The blond blinked then shrugged.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Hermione charged into the Gryffindor common room in search of Harry. Instead she found a slightly flustered Ginny who dragged her to the female dorms.

"I went snooping through Harry's things." Ginny said as soon as they sat down.

"You did what? Why?" demanded Hermione.

"Let me start at the beginning."

"Yes, I think you should."

The youngest Weasley took a breath. "After the last Quidditch game I saw Harry take his shirt off."

"Right, of course it started with you seeing Harry topless."

Ginny ignored her and continued, "_and_ he had a _hickey_!"

Hermione blinked, "okay."

"He's been seeing someone! I had to find out who."

"Whom." Hermione corrected automatically. "Let's just set aside the fact that what you did was a major invasion of privacy, what did you find?"

Ginny grimaced. "Lots of things. But I did find confirmation that he's involved with someone… and, a Slytherin tie."

Ginny frowned when she saw Hermione look straight through her. Waving a hand in front of the book-worm's face didn't provoke a reaction.

Meanwhile in Hermione's head some of the final pieces of the puzzle slotted neatly into place. A second later Hermione gasped. _He's not dating just any boy. He's dating a __**Slytherin. **_

"Hermione?"

"I need some more time to think. That Slytherin tie complicates things."

"Wait. How does the tie complicate things?"

"Never mind. Keep this to yourself for now. Ron might explode if he thought Harry was dating a Slytherin." stated Hermione to a nodding Ginny. _Or a boy. _She thought grimly.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Hermione made a mental list of possible suspects. They were the Slytherins re-taking their seventh year. Only they would be in Harry's Herbology class.

Blaise Zabini

Draco Malfoy

Gregory Goyle

Theodore Nott

A shiver ran down her spine. None of them were nice boys, and all of them were capable of manipulating Harry for their own ends if he trusted them; except maybe Goyle, but only because he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

_A process of elimination then. _Both Goyle and Nott were stricken off the list; although it wasn't just because the two of them were repulsive.

Nott's features were gaunt looking and his eyes occasionally looked as if they were about to come out of their sockets. And Goyle, if he wasn't already dangerously obese, then he was well on his way.

They were also viciously cruel. They had enjoyed practicing torture curses on other students far too much according to the DA survivors. Even before the Death Eaters took over they had been bullies. Hermione couldn't see how Harry could date either one of them.

That left Malfoy and Zabini.

Like Nott and Goyle, Malfoy was a bully, but unlike them, he hadn't liked cursing other students and had at least tried to change his ways towards the end of the war.

Zabini hadn't had much to do with anything and had mostly stayed in the background. That also meant Hermione didn't know much about him.

She turned invisible and went to find either Malfoy or Zabini.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Hermione watched helplessly as Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy tried to eat each other's faces. She closed her eyes but that didn't block out Parkinson's giggles.

The slurping noises were beginning to make her nauseous as Hermione thought back to how she'd got herself into such a mess.

After turning invisible it hadn't taken long to track down Malfoy. Hermione followed him through the castle and into the Slytherin common room. Then Parkinson appeared and led Malfoy downstairs.

"Oh _Draco_! I love you."

"Yeah… love you too…" replied Malfoy. "But we can't do this anymore. I'm arranged to be married."

Parkinson started crying. "But it's just so hard! Vincent died; _he_ said he'd marry _me_! And Theo has stopped touching me… Even Blaise doesn't let me take care of his needs anymore." Hermione felt her mouth open in slight disgust.

"All right. It's all right." Malfoy tried to comfort her. "I miss Vince too." He whispered some more sweet nothings in her ear. "We can do this just once more I suppose. Just don't tell anyone." Malfoy opened the top draw of his bedside table and placed a picture of Vincent Crabbe facing the bed. "You know how he liked to watch."

Parkinson sniffed while nodding.

"Oh, I've run out of condoms." said Malfoy. Hermione was relived. "We'll just have to risk it."

"'kay."

They started removing clothes while Hermione cringed.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Hermione stumbled through the halls of Hogwarts in a daze. The only thing that comforted her against the trauma of what she'd seen was that she now knew who was _shagging_ her best friend. _Blaise Zabini_.

She grimaced at the crudeness of her thoughts.

Her bushy hair fell into her face as she staggered towards the Quidditch field knowing that Harry was there with the Gryffindor team.

In the back of her mind Hermione knew she shouldn't confront him about his sexuality and boyfriend in front of everyone, but after seeing Parkinson naked, she was far past caring.

It seemed that training had just finished as the team were making their way back to the castle. She spotted Ron standing outside the locker rooms.

"'Mione!" He hugged her and kissed her cheek. Hermione rewarded him with a small smile. She was glad he was here.

"Have you seen Harry?"

"Yeah, he's in the loo… He's been in there a while though. I think he's having," Ron checked to see if anyone was listening, "problems."

Hermione's eyes hardened before she stormed into the locker room and made a B-line for the toilets.

"'Mione! Those are the boy's toilets!" Ron called after her but she didn't seem to hear him. Her form disappeared into the men's bogs.

"Hermione! What are you doing in here? Get out!"

She raced out looking more frazzled than ever. Ron was looking at her like she was a crazy person.

Harry came out a few seconds later and was still pulling his trousers up. Ron exchanged a glance with his best mate and then asked, "Are you all right 'Mione?"

"No!" She covered her face with both hands. "I just saw Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy having sex, and my best friend is sleeping with Blaise Zabini!"

Ron turned red before he registered what she had said. "Ginny's shagging Zabini?" He wailed.

"Not Ginny! Harry!" She pointed accusingly at him.

"What?" Ron yelled.

"No I'm not!" Harry denied.

"Yes you ARE!"

"No I'm NOT!"

"Enough!" yelled Ron. Harry and Hermione both looked over at Ron in mild surprise. Harry sighed.

"Why would you think I would shag Zabini?" He asked.

"It's a long story. Let's sit down." Ron and Harry sat down on one bench while Hermione sat opposite them and leaned back on the wall. "It all started when Ginny saw Harry topless…"

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Hermione, the tie Ginny found in my trunk was one I picked after the final battle and just kept."

"But what about what Luna said?"

"Luna didn't actually say I was shagging a boy did she?"

"No… but she said Neville caught you kissing him."

"Luna said Neville caught me snogging Zabini?" Harry asked incredulously.

Ron was sat looking extremely uncomfortable.

"Well not really…" Hermione admitted.

"Isn't it possible that this is all just a miss-understanding?" asked Harry.

"I suppose." Hermione thought about it for a second. "Oh Harry, I'm so sorry." They hugged.

Ron decided to speak up. "So what was this about seeing Malfoy and Parkinson doing the nasty?"

Hermione was about to reply when something invisible tripped over her foot. Frowning she groped out and took hold of some fabric. It felt like Harry's invisibility cloak.

She waved her wand and the cloak flew across the room. It revealed a completely naked Gregory Goyle who was gagged with a green Slytherin tie and had his hands bound behind his back by a red Gryffindor tie."

"I can explain." said Harry.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

The four of them were standing now. "I haven't lied to anyone." stated Harry.

"How can you say that?" demanded Hermione.

"'Cause you were askin' if 'e was shaggin' Zabini." replied Goyle who was looking slightly confused at her anger. "And 'e wasn't."

She glared at him. _At least he's gotten dressed_, she thought. "You still concealed the truth!"

"Because I thought you would react badly to my boyfriend." said Harry.

Ron paled. "Mate… You're really into blokes?"

"Not blokes… just Greg. It's hard to explain…"

'_Just Greg_', Hermione noted.

"Why?" Ron asked, feeling confused and grossed out.

"He loves me. And I love him." replied Harry with Goyle nodding along.

'_He loves me_'.

"Harry," started Hermione, who was desperately trying to understand Harry's state of mind. "What do you mean by 'he loves me'? Lots of people love you. Lots of _females_ love you."

Harry squeezed one of Goyle's massive arms. "But he loves me for me!" said Harry sincerely. "He doesn't care about my money or fame. I know where I stand with him."

"'e likes Quidditch and 'as a nice arse." Goyle agreed. "And 'e's nice to me." Harry beamed and tightened his hold on Goyle's arm.

"Okay, let's go with that. Surely there's a woman who wouldn't care about getting her hands on your money out there somewhere."

"Listen 'Mione. Most girls I know are creepy. No offence."

She gaped at him. "You think I'm creepy?"

"You walked in on me while I was in the bathroom."

"I thought you were doing perverse things with Zabini!"

"And you stormed in anyway!"

"I was worried about you! I thought he was taking advantage of you!"

Harry looked at her with narrowed eyes and asked her in a low tone, "Do you think Greg is taking advantage of me?"

Goyle glared at her and pulled Harry tight against his side.

She began to choose her words carefully, but Ron spoke first. "No, we just think he's a psychopath."

Harry's eyes narrowed further and Goyle's expression turned even darker. "What he meant was that Goy-Gregory has done some… questionable things." said Hermione gently.

"Everyone makes mistakes." responded Harry.

"But not everyone tortures people for fun." retorted Ron.

"I don't do that anymore, got Harry now." said Goyle. Ron and Hermione paled.

"He doesn't… hurt you, does he Harry?" Ron had a hand on his wand.

"No! It's not like that!"

"'e's the one that hurts _me_." established Goyle. Ron turned slightly green.

Harry took a breath. "He makes me happy. I know he's done some bad things, but its all in the past. He has been nothing but kind to me."

"He beat the crap out of you at the start of sixth year!"

"And I forgave him for that."

"He broke three of your ribs and your nose in two places." Ron exclaimed incredulously.

"I said I was sorry." said Goyle.

"Boys! Alright, it's clear you care about Gregory a great deal, despite his history," he nodded so Hermione continued, "and I am of course happy that you're happy. But I am having trouble seeing what _you_ see in him.

"Before seventh year he was a bully, and then he used _unforgivables_ on other students when Death Eaters took over the school.

"I'm scared for you Harry. I just don't understand."

"'Mione, it's okay, I can take care of myself remember? And as for what I see in him… he can be sensitive and he's an excellent listener. He's big, strong and has the power and the will to protect me. Most importantly, he actually loves me. He's all I've ever wanted and more."

Goyle was blushing bright red as he squeezed Harry in a hug.

_Luna finished the daisy chain and looked at Hermione for the first time since the conversation started. "Because you're too close to him. He doesn't think you would approve. And he couldn't bare it if you didn't."_

"Okay." said Hermione finally. "I trust your judgment. And if anyone deserves to feel loved and protected, it's you."

Ron gaped at her. "That's it Hermione? You're okay with this? It's _Goyle_!"

"It's fine." She brushed away his concern. "So how long have you two been a couple?"

"Oh, that's a long story." Hermione stared at them expectantly. "But the short version is just after the Battle of Hogwarts. About… nine months ago?" said Harry looking at Goyle who grunted a confirmation.

"Wait just a second!" All attention focused on Ron. They all waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts. He sighed. "You'll have to bring him to meet the family. Mum'll be happy to have another mouth to shovel food into… especially one as big as Goyle's."

They all wore big cheesy grins.


End file.
